Ten IT jobs to save up for those rare lulls

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  • Untidy office

    Untidy office

    It may seem that every minute is filled with emergencies, data migrations, backup clean-ups and end-user hand-holding. But it's just possible that IT staff can end up with time to spare. That's the moment to turn to the tasks that get squeezed out by everyday demands. Here's my take on what those jobs might be.

    1. Tidy up
    When things are constantly hectic, disorder can establish itself in the shop or departmental offices. Yet a clean environment is conducive to efficient operations. So, when things are slow, it's time to clean up, get rid of old and dead kit and even rearrange furniture for a better layout.

    Photo by: Jaek Muran

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Patch cables

    Patch cables

    2. Create patch cables
    You can never have enough patch cables. Although it's simple to order cables in various lengths, ranging from three to 15 feet, you don't always have the perfect length to hand. Buying spooled cable in bulk and RJ45 connectors is far cheaper than buying bags of pre-cut and pre-terminated Ethernet cables.

     


    Photo by: Webshots

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Messy server room cabling

    Messy server room cabling

    3. Put cables in order
    If you 're used to seeing a tangle of cables whenever you open that server cabinet, you could capitalise on downtime to impose order on the chaos. Of course, you'd have to tackle this job without disrupting anyone's work, so perhaps it's a task for the early morning or after hours.

    Photo by: Webshots

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Study at books

    Study at books

    4. Learn something new
    IT is a field that's constantly evolving, so slow times present an excellent opportunity for engineers to acquire knowledge. They don't necessarily have to attend classes. They could just work with a new coding language. Alternatively, high-level admins can show lower-level staff the way round more complex systems. Any knowledge employees can share is a good investment in time.

    Photo by: Shutterstock

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Computer code

    Computer code

    5. Clean up your code
    When under pressure, we sometimes don't write the cleanest code or we may just forget to add comments. Everyone knows the benefits of clean code: easier debugging and rewriting and, in some cases, more efficient execution. We also know that when code is written poorly, cleaning it up can be a pain — so quieter times lend themselves to tackling this potentially laborious task.

    Photo by: Shutterstock

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Old software

    Old software

    6. Test new systems and software
    We're always looking for new systems to use but we rarely have the time to test them out. It might be an open-source CMS you've been meaning to try for ages or some new groupware. When things are quiet you may finally get the chance to get those systems up and running and check them over to see if they're up to the job.

    Photo by: Churl/Flickr

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Document systems

    Document systems

    7. Document systems and software
    Documentation is often left until last yet it's one of the most important tasks around. Without it, your systems end up relying on people's memories — and with the inevitable staff turnover, you could find yourself in a hole. When people leave, you still need to be able to log on to mission-critical servers. Take the opportunity of quiet periods to push on with the process of documenting your systems, software and users. In the end, you'll be glad you did.

    Photo by: Boetter/Flickr

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Network diagram

    Network diagram

    8. Audit the network
    You should know every piece of hardware on your network — or at least you should have them all recorded. Downtime gives you the chance to audit your network and create digital and paper maps of that topology. At some point, you'll be pleased you created these records. Just ensure that if the map includes passwords, it's stored in a secure location, such as a safe.

    Photo by: Shutterstock

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • File folders

    File folders

    9. File paperwork
    Your company might still do everything on paper or you may have gone digital. Either way, there's almost always some administrative work to be done. If you're a typical IT shop, you're probably already behind with the paperwork — so now is the time to catch up and perhaps even to get ahead.

    Photo by: Shutterstock

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

  • Server network room

    Server network room

    10. Run a security audit on your servers
    You never know when you're going to come under attack. Given some downtime, you could run a full-scale security audit on your servers. With that information, you can strengthen those systems so you don't have to fret about security when you don't have time to worry.

    Other tasks?
    If you deal with these tasks, you'll keep everyone busy and improve efficiency, security and skills. But what other jobs do you tackle when there's a break in the regular IT workload?

    This story originally appeared as 10 tasks to keep your IT department productive during slow times on TechRepublic.

    Get the latest technology news and analysis, blogs and reviews delivered directly to your inbox with ZDNet UK's newsletters.

     

    Caption by: Jack Wallen

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It's not a bad idea to have a few IT tasks in reserve in the unlikely event that the daily grind eventually lets up, says Jack Wallen

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Untidy office

It may seem that every minute is filled with emergencies, data migrations, backup clean-ups and end-user hand-holding. But it's just possible that IT staff can end up with time to spare. That's the moment to turn to the tasks that get squeezed out by everyday demands. Here's my take on what those jobs might be.

1. Tidy up
When things are constantly hectic, disorder can establish itself in the shop or departmental offices. Yet a clean environment is conducive to efficient operations. So, when things are slow, it's time to clean up, get rid of old and dead kit and even rearrange furniture for a better layout.

Caption by: Jack Wallen

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